occurs this rain will not evaporate and will have a better chance of falling to the ground Make a Solar Still Plants and animals that live in the desert have adapted to the lack of rain in very unique ways that we will explore further People however do not have these adaptations They have to obtain water or they will die A person can live only about three days without water when the temperature is above 100°F 37 8°C as it is in the hot and dry deserts There are only a handful of ways to obtain water in the desert You could try to collect rainwater or dew in the morning You could also get water from desert plants like cacti Another way to obtain water is to build a solar still The solar still was created by two doctors and was tested by the United States Air Force in the deserts of Arizona Here's how to make your own What You Need the A grown up to assist A Shovel Measuring tape A Glass jar such as a 32 ounce 9 liter mayon naise jar Plastic wrap At Stones
What You Do 1 Dig a hole roughly 3 feet 9 m across and about 2 feet 6 m deep 2 Place the open jar in the center of the hole with the opening on top 3 Ask someone to help you spread a large sheet of plastic wrap over the hole and jar 4 Place stones on the plastic wrap on the ground to hold it down and place one stone in the center of the plastic wrap covering the jar opening to hold the plastic wrap securely over the opening of the jar Water will eventually gather in the jar through the process of condensation Condensation occurs when the water vapor in the air is pulled out and turned into liquid water You might get a pint of water in about 24 hours If you were trying to survive in the desert your body would require about seven to eight pints 3 3 to 3 8 L of water each day you are exerting energy You could probably last about five days without water if you didn't exert any energy at all That means no walking not even at night Look at the water you gathered in your still Would it be enough for you to survive until you are rescued Would it be enough to sustain you walking at night to search for
Desert Discovery The still not only collects water it purifies it Here's something important to remember if you are making your still in the desert and you have no other water One still can keep you alive making more stills will keep your friends alive as well People of the Desert It is difficult to imagine people living in the extreme conditions of the desert While people are not built for life in the desert they have found ways to adapt to life in deserts around the world for thousands of years How do these people protect themselves from the harsh climate Just as hair or fur can benefit desert animals clothing sometimes protects people from the extreme temperatures of the desert What do you do when you are very hot You might put on a bathing suit or shorts and a T shirt to
cool yourself down Some desert people wear very lit tle clothing but some others put on loose fitting flowing garments that shield their bodies from the heat and cold and also help to reduce evaporation through the skin In the following chapters you will see how the different people of the deserts have adjusted to the harsh desert conditions Wind and Water at Work Deserts have dramatic landscapes with many unique land formations There are rugged cliffs giant sand dunes rock columns and arches and colorful canyons With little soil or vegetation to offer protec tion these spectacular formations are often caused by winds ripping across the desert carrying sand and gravel that cuts and carves out desert landforms Some of these landforms such as the Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Arizona are so dra matic that they have become world famous attrac tions for visitors from all over the world The Rainbow Bridge made of sandstone is the world's largest natural bridge and spans Bridge Canyon Can
